Nectar
noun /ˈnɛktər/ — The drink of the gods — and anything so perfectly sweet it seems divine.
Definition
In Greek mythology, the drink of the gods; any delicious drink; any sweet liquid, especially that collected by bees from flowers; anything pleasingly sweet or delightful.
Beyond the definition
Nectar is one of the most sensory words in English — it carries sweetness, divinity, and the image of something so perfect it seems like it was made for gods, not ordinary mortals. Using it for an ordinary drink elevates the moment.
Origin & history
From Greek nektar — drink of the gods (possibly from nek: death + -tar: a root related to crossing over). The drink that crossed the boundary between mortality and divinity. What the immortals drank.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
After the desert heat, the cold water was nectar — she'd never tasted anything so exactly right.
The peach juice ran down her hand — purely itself, sweet and alive, the kind of thing the word nectar was made for.
Every culture has its nectar: the one thing that represents the distilled pleasure of the season.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Nectar” when the meaning fits your context: In Greek mythology, the drink of the gods; any delicious drink; any sweet liquid, especially that collected by bees from flowers; anything pleasingly sweet or delightful.
Synonyms
Antonyms
poison, gall, bitterness
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Releasing scent in herb garden
An adult walks through a garden, brushing their hand through foliage to release the aromatic scent into the air.
The release of the intense fragrance into the air is a sensory delight. It serves as an analogy for nectar, representing something intensely sweet and pleasing.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Nectar" mean?
Nectar is noun meaning: The drink of the gods — and anything so perfectly sweet it seems divine.. In Greek mythology, the drink of the gods; any delicious drink; any sweet liquid, especially that collected by bees from flowers; anything pleasingly sweet or delightful.
Where does the word "Nectar" come from?
From Greek nektar — drink of the gods (possibly from nek: death + -tar: a root related to crossing over). The drink that crossed the boundary between mortality and divinity. What the immortals drank.